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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25366390">Different Sky</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoulMatter/pseuds/SoulMatter'>SoulMatter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Different Sky verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>700 years far, And a few more things I know this has but not how to tag, But to sum it up, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Cavern of Remembrance - Freeform, F/M, Gen, Heartless (Kingdom Hearts) - Freeform, Heartless are Eldritch Abominations, Hollow Bastion | Radiant Garden, Keyblade Wielders (Kingdom Hearts), Keyblades are Semi-sentient, LOTS AND LOTS OF WORLDBUILDING, Like, Luna has Issues, Luna is a little shit, Lycan has Issues, Lycan is a grumpy socially awkward overworked Wielder, Lycan is an asshole, Magic, Many things are untagged, My First AO3 Post, Not Canon Compliant, Or just become one, Original Character-centric, Past Relationship(s), Platonic Relationships, Post-Canon, Radiant Garden needs a break from Keybladers, Rating May Change, The worlds are not the same, This is pretty damn far into the future, To prevent spoilers, Tough luck Young Lycan - Master Verity, Training, Unreliable Narrator, You need to be one in order to control them, dark themes, either works, he needs a break, how the fuck do I tag?, seriously, there'll be a lot of stuff in future chapters</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:15:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,815</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25366390</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoulMatter/pseuds/SoulMatter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It has been 700 years since the Second Keyblade War and Master Xehanort's defeat. The worlds are not the same anymore. There is no Sora. There is no Riku. There is the Order, and their headquarters, Radiant Garden. Where potential Wielders train and learn to, one day, become a Keyblade Master.</p><p>"Haa... Look around you. What are you fighting for?"</p><p>"...Myself."</p><p>[CURRENTLY ON THE PROCCESS OF BEING REWRITTEN]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Moogle (Kingdom Hearts) &amp; Original Character(s), Original Character(s) &amp; Original Character(s), Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Different Sky verse [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837003</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Wolf and the Dark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Lycan muses, and becomes a teacher to people close to his age.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Heartless duty, <em> again </em> . Why was it always him who got shoved into Heartless duty while everybody else learned in <em> safe, controlled environments </em>. As if! Apparently, his Master was hated by all the others, and since he vanished a few years ago, they were taking their frustrations out on him, who was merely his Master's student, and thus not privy to his Master's personal life. He wasn't an apprentice, like Luna.</p><p>He huffed, sitting down on a cliff's edge, that towered over a lush forest. He was currently in a world that existed in the thin line between the Realm of Light and the Realm of Darkness, the Realm Between. And as was common with those worlds, it was a hotspot for Heartless.</p><p>Behind him, and the large rock he was leaning against, there was a charred field, with random wisps of darkness here and there, signaling spots where a Heartless had been vanquished. Trees had been uprooted, and the earth had deep gouges and shallow craters gouged into it. The aftermath of a tough battle. The lingering glow of a Cure spell on him and the tears in his clothes proved that he had not come out of that fight unscathed.</p><p>Yawning a little, he waved his hand, using a small water-element spell alongside a wind-element one to create a flat, reflective surface, in which he would be able to fully appraise the damage he had taken in that annoyingly tough fight. His messy mop of white hair had a fair bit of dust on it, but his face was reasonably clean. Apparently, covering it with his arm was an actual sound strategy.</p><p>His half-lidded violet eyes wandered away from his face and into his clothes, assessing them. Unlike the other students, apprentices, and Masters, he wore casual clothes that the World Order Curse the Keyblade automatically cast on its Wielder rarely touched, seeing as most worlds were similar in both inhabitants, lore, and clothing. He allowed himself a vindictive smirk at the fact many Wielders complained about the Curse, but he was one of the few who didn't.</p><p>His charcoal black jacket had several tears in it from claw strikes, but nothing a bit of time spent stitching it back together wouldn't fix. Fortunately, the large checkered hood was intact, which would allow him to keep hiding his face. It was easier that way, without receiving looks of wariness, disgust and distrust everywhere he went in Radiant Garden.</p><p>His white patterned shirt was intact as well, the red wolf head and the tribal markings around it catching his attention, as they were supposed to do. Smiling a little, he traced the markings, remembering the moment he had returned to his Master wearing it and having him let out a belly-aching mirthful laugh.</p><p>His baggy black pants were fine as well, the damage being focused on his upper body. As with his steel grey armored boots. He let the watery mirror splash harmlessly in the forest below, as he mused on the fact the Heartless generally aimed towards their victims/enemies' torso, aiming to take their Hearts.</p><p>Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to bask in the cool breeze, his white locks gently swaying to an unheard rhythm. As he did, his mind started wandering, thinking about how his own training was extremely different from all the other Wielders. He was learning by himself, finding out what did and didn't work against the Heartless, gathering first-hand knowledge and observations about the creatures born from the darkness of Hearts.</p><p>Meanwhile, the other Wielders were given formal training, learning stances, spells from the Book of Magic, a tome holding knowledge gathered by generations of Keyblade Wielders. They learned official techniques, such as Shotlocks, Command Styles, Flowmotion, Formchanges.</p><p>Sure, he <em> had </em> learned all the basics, but that was all he had. The basics. The other Wielders had advanced techniques already waiting for them. He had to create his by himself. And it was… Incredibly difficult. While the basics of all those techniques were good enough on their own and for Wielders to base themselves on to develop other techniques, they also were difficult to break down even further, which was what he was forced to do in order to learn more things.</p><p>By breaking down the basics, and learning <em> exactly </em> how they worked, he was able to understand how to create his <em> own </em> basics. Shotlocks? Command Styles? Formchanges? Flowmotion? Their basics were all broken down and utilized to develop his own fighting style. And it took a long time. Time he would never get back. All because of his Master. In the present time, he was starting to resent his Master. He had left out of nowhere, without even bothering to explain why. And he did something that made the other Masters loathe him, a sentiment that was transferred to himself.</p><p>Opening his eyes, he came out of his thoughts, and frowned, as he felt something. Digging into his pockets, which were, like everyone else's, enchanted to be bottomless, he pulled out a shining ruby. He sighed, as he recognised the pulse coming from it. Time to return to Radiant Garden. Honestly, the Masters' paranoia were off the charts, having forbidden him from learning a way to travel through worlds on his own. Yes, he could reverse-engineer the gemstones he was given, and he had, but they were set to a world, and it could only be set to a world the creator had gone to. And since this one was the one he was sent to the most, having the worst Heartless infestation of all the Worlds of Twilight, it was the only one he could create a gemstone to. He had yet to go enough times to the other worlds to be able to reverse-enginner those gemstones.</p><p>Shooting a slight glare at the gemstone, he crushed it in his hand, causing the magic to burst out of it. The resultant dust was blown apart by the breeze, and with the warm thrumming of magic, created a portal, which engulfed him. When it vanished, all that was left was the breeze, and the slowly healing cliff, the scars of battle steadily vanishing, as the world restored itself.</p><p>As it did so, it flickered for a moment, the forest giving way to a town, the cliff giving way to a tower… As the clock ticked, and the forest returned, leaving behind a world in eternal twilight.</p><hr/><p>Luna Heathcliffe was on a mission. A self-imposed mission, in fact. While she was the highest-ranking Wielder that wasn't a Master, there were rumors that she wasn't the strongest. Preposterous! She had earned her rank by defeating everyone else except for the Masters, and no one has yet to give her a challenge!</p><p>As such, she was quite ticked off when the rumors started. Apparently, there was a Wielder that was seldom seen in Radiant Garden, and always hid their head with their jacket's hood and a grey wolf mask that covered their upper face. And since the Masters did not treat this Wielder as one of them, it was obvious they weren't a Master. But since the Masters trusted them to leave the world by themself, they must be stronger than Luna, since she hadn't reached that level yet.</p><p>Pure bullshit! These rumors were only that, rumors! There may be a smidgen of truth in them, but by and large, they were made entirely of falsehoods! There was no way someone who no one knew the name of would be stronger than her. They weren't even an Apprentice, like she was!</p><p>Yeah, she was pretty damn pissed off.</p><p>Which was why she would find the root of the rumors, and cut it down to size! She would prove these rumors were nothing more than lies! And that was the reason she was currently stalking, ahem, <em> following </em> the mystery Wielder, as they walked through the gardens of the Old City, having seen them leave the Conference Room, where the Masters convened to discuss and receive reports.</p><p>She kept her eyes narrowed, focusing on the Wielder's gait, taking in every feature of theirs she could see, in order to divine their possible fighting style. She <em> needed </em> information before confronting an unknown, she wasn't reckless!</p><p>Hiding, ahem, taking cover, behind a few bushes of Evening Primroses, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. Stealth wasn't her forte, so it was a real possibility that the mystery Wielder would be able to find her. She kept her vigil, silently gulping when she caught the Wielder looking around with suspicion, before sitting down on a secluded corner of the garden, near her hiding spot, ahem, cover.</p><p>Yeah, she wouldn't admit to be stalking them.</p><p>She blinked, however, when she managed to notice that their jacket was damaged. The white and red patches she had seen were tears and cuts, that showed their shirt. Which she could finally see, thanks to the Wielder's front now turned in an angle that allowed her to see it semi-clearly. The Wielder grumbled as they took off their jacket, allowing his snow white hair, that had a fair bit of dust in it, to be seen.</p><p>"I need to take a shower…" He, for Luna could see that his build was distinctively masculine, if a bit thin, and his voice was too deep to be a girl's, grumbled, running a hand through his hair. The Wielder's voice was both strange-sounding and strangely familiar, as if she had heard it before, which was untrue. It was deep and low-pitched, making him sound like he was always grumbling.</p><p>Her eyes narrowed. There were only three white-haired people in Radiant Garden. One was a Master, and the other two were identical twins. All three were girls. Which meant, this one had yet to be defeated by her, which was unacceptable. He was an unknown factor in the life of the Wielders of Radiant Garden. Thus, she would watch him. Make sure he was not dangerous. He was an outsider, being both a Wielder and someone who was never part of the Order.</p><p>He took something out of his pocket, and she blinked again, when she saw a sewing kit. Luna was positively baffled when he started fixing his jacket, with no magic involved. Weren't his clothes charmed to fix themselves? Maybe the charms had failed? If so, then why didn't he charm his clothes again? His pockets <em> were </em> charmed to be bottomless, so why were his clothes like that?</p><p>She kept watching, and rose an eyebrow at the triumphant smile on his face when he finished, before placing the sewing kit back in his pockets. "And, done." He said, putting it back on, before standing up. He stretched, groaning as his bones popped and muscles throbbed, from sitting still like that for a good amount of time. "And, you should work on your stealth, Luna Heathcliffe. That was pitiful."</p><p>Luna stiffened, his violet eyes meeting her own green eyes. His lips curled into a sly smirk, before he turned around and walked away, sending a last parting shot her way. "If you wanna stalk someone, do it right!"</p><p>"I wasn't stalking!" She shrieked, jumping to her feet as the <em> infuriating </em> male walked away, his chuckles <em> mocking </em> her. Her face burning hot at being caught, she stomped off, petals and flowers falling off her spiky, shoulder-length black hair, remnants of the bushes she hid in. She hissed, her eyes gleaming with righteous fury. Who was he to be <em> mocking </em> her!?</p><p>While she made her way out of the gardens with a temper tantrum, she missed the annoyed look the masked Wielder had shot her, eyes narrowed and lips curled in displeasure.</p><hr/><p>"Luna Heathcliffe…" The words left his mouth as if they were being spoken for the first time, as dark thoughts clustered in his mind. A <em> privileged child </em>. Truly, someone who was the opposite of him.</p><p>She, who had no Master, clawed her way to the top, tooth and nail, and earned herself the privilege of becoming an Apprentice, instead of a Student. Who was granted the highest rank of all Non-Masters, who was <em> coddled </em> , <em> taught </em> , and <em> sheltered </em>, having never fought a single Heartless. Excelling in fighting human-sized opponents, she wouldn't stand a chance against a creature that does not resemble a human at all.</p><p>He, who was taken in by a Master, and was cast down to the ground, repeatedly, losing his Master and becoming the lowest of low. Who was thrown out of Radiant Garden, in the expectation that the Heartless would become his demise. Who forced himself to <em> learn </em> , in order to <em> survive </em>, and saw the worst nature could offer, having no one to evaluate his progress, only how easily he could defeat the Heartless. Excelling in fighting monsters, he would be hard-pressed to keep up with a Keyblade Wielder.</p><p>The parallels <em> sickened </em>him. She was everything he couldn't have, and he was everything the Order stood against. Pulling down the checkered hood so it would cover his hair, he thundered across the gardens, heading to the ruined castle. It was ancient. Over seven hundred years old.</p><p>Seven hundred years. The same period of time since the Second Keyblade War, where the Seven Guardians of Light struck down the Thirteen Darknesses. Those that saw it happen were long since dead, and all that remained were a few books here and there, with limited knowledge of the time. Though that didn't stop him from searching for them.</p><p>From what his Master told him, a great number of the Wielders that fought in the War were self-taught, with no formal training whatsoever. Something contrary to the Tales, who told that they were taught by Mickey, Disney Kingdom's King at the time, alongside Master Yen Sid, the oldest known Keyblade Wielder.</p><p>His Master's stories made him question if what he was taught by the Order was truly accurate. But then again, no story survives the test of time completely intact. And history is told by the winners. And such was his motivation to head towards the ruined castle. According to history, Radiant Garden was where Ansem the Wise lived, contemporary to the Second War. As such, it was where he would find answers.</p><p>Eventually.</p><p>He had scoured almost every corner of the castle, but, as apparences would lead you to believe, there were several corridors which collapsed and prevented him from delving further. Which was why there was only one place left, the exact same place in which he had taken residence. The Cavern of Remembrance. Its naturally high levels of ambient magic allowed his own reserves to replenish faster than they normally would.</p><p>Because of that, it was an excellent place to train. And it was a semi-sentient place, from what he could observe. Every time he made a breakthrough in his training, something happened; A gallery was reopened, a pillar was created, a section of the wall cave in to reveal a sealed passage. And whatever happened, it all led to him putting whatever new skill he learned to the test.</p><p>Such was the Cavern's nature.</p><p>The ruined castle was clean of anything he could find to help him. Aside from the collapsed corridors, there was nothing inside it anymore. The Cavern underneath it was the only place he had not finished exploring.</p><p>Sighing, he stepped up to the large white doors. They had been there since he first found the Cavern of Remembrance. And yet, they had not once unlocked. Touching it, he closed his eyes and focused, feeling the heavy spellwork done on it. It was not something he would be able to dispel. In fact, he doubted there was anyone in existence with the ability to dispel the spellwork done on the doors.</p><p>He even tried using his Keyblade. It failed, and he was blasted straight back to the entrance of the Cavern. And that's while withholding the fact that he went through the solid walls of the Cavern. And these walls were <em> tough </em> . In fact, that's what assured him of he Cavern's semi-sentience, because the walls he went through were softer than they normally were. If they were their usual toughness, he would've gone <em> splat </em>!</p><p>Opening his eyes, he walked back to his usual spot, where he trained. It was the closest part of the Cavern to the surface, connected to it by a small tunnel that led to an entrance next to the ruined castle's Postern. Radiant Garden had changed in the last centuries, but only by expanding. Its old district had too much historical meaning to be altered, and was slowly abandoned as it decayed.</p><p>He allowed himself a faint smile, as he summoned his unnamed Keyblade. Everyone else may treat him with caution and suspicion, but the Cavern didn't. It was the only place in which he could be himself. Running a hand through his hair, he scanned his surroundings, noting down the faux Heartless the Cavern had summoned to test him, an eager grin splitting his lips. "Let's do this." He said, falling into his stance, black and silver Keyblade by his side.</p><p>Small particles of darkness coalesced and popped, generating several Heartless, which he would be testing himself against. He clutched the hilt tightly, before moving. He would be spending the rest of the day there, only leaving when he felt hungry, so he had no compunctions about giving his all.</p><hr/><p>As he trained, he failed to account for two observers, that were hiding themselves in the Cavern's entrance. "I wonder if Luna knows who and why started the rumors." One of them spoke, with a feminine tone. They may be partially hidden by their cover, but what could be seen was enough to identify both as females.</p><p>"Nah." The other figure replied, voice slightly more musical than the first. "She was stalking him, so Luna definitely doesn't know. Though I do have to wonder… Just who is he?"</p><p>"...Well, we aren't gonna find out just by stalking him, right?"</p><p>"Oh, just shut up. Like you have enough courage to walk up to him."</p><p>"...Point. But that also applies to you too, y'know!"</p><hr/><p>"Here are your Hi-Potions, kupo! It will be 500 munny, thanks for your patronage!" The Moogle placed the Hi-Potions on the counter, accepting the munny from him in turn.</p><p>He liked the Moogles. They were professional above all else, and the only thing they did to people they didn't like was ban them from their shops. And whoever managed to piss off a Moogle was either a really stupid person or did something which the Moogle knew about and did not like that they did it.</p><p>He gave the Moogle, Laurel, a smile and nod, before walking off, calculating how long items he had now would last, having replenished his stock. He had five Hi-Potions, seven Hi-Ethers, and three Elixirs. Altogether, they would last him around two months, three he he used them even more sparingly than he normally did.</p><p>Satisfied with his calculations, he stored them all on his bottomless pocket, placing the wolf mask and the hood back in place. Laurel was an old acquaintance of his, and did not need all this secrecy when interacting with her. It was honestly refreshing to have someone he could trust, even if it was a Moogle, who could not do much on their own. Not that it wasn't fun to brainstorm hypothetical inconveniences he could cause the Masters without it being traced back to him.</p><p>Laurel was surprisingly vindictive. And had a gleeful love for chaos.</p><p>"Lycan." And there went his good mood. His relaxed features morphed into a glower, as he regarded the Master that had approached him. He lightened it up a little, seeing as it was one of the Masters that regarded him neutrally, like any other Wielder. "I require your assistance."</p><p>Lycan, for that was his first name, narrowed his eyes at the Master, trying to find anything on the elderly Master's eyes. Seeing nothing, he grudgingly nodded in acknowledgement, grunting an affirmative. "Fine." Screw politeness, he received zero respect, so why should he give any. "What do you need my help with?"</p><p>"As of now, you are currently <em> the </em> most experienced Wielder when it comes to fighting back the Heartless." Master Verity told him in a blunt, no-nonsense tone. Violet met green, and Lycan could see no deception. "The others <em> need </em> that experience, and you are the only one who can allow them to gain it with the least risk involved."</p><p>"...Is that so?" The self-taught Wielder asked dubiously, wondering about the other Masters. If it was something laughably easy like that, then why weren't the other Masters doing something about it? Unless… They didn't really care, believing the Wielder would gain the experience out of nowhere, and fight against the Heartless just as efficiently as they, and him, could. "What about you and the others? I doubt I have the most experience with the Heartless."</p><p>The elderly Master merely gave him an indulgent smile. "True, we are, by default, more experienced than you. But, we were released to fight the Heartless after we had finished our training. Thus, all we did was merely overpower them. You have more experience with fighting them <em> smarter </em> , while we have experience with fighting them <em> stronger </em>. And I believe your way is the more efficient of them both."</p><p>...That was true. He <em> had </em> seen Master Scarlet fight the Heartless, a month ago, and he could vividly remember the sheer bewilderment he felt when she simply ignored the Heartless' primal tactics to simply blast them with superior strength and firepower. As in, throw Firagas with reckless abandon until there weren't any Heartless to be blasted away.</p><p>From what Master Verity implied, that was all the experience the Masters had with the Heartless. While he <em> knew </em> each Heartless' strengths and weaknesses, how to work around and exploit them, and the best ways to exploit said weaknesses. In short, the Masters utilized a sledgehammer while he utilized a scalpel.</p><p>The Masters may beat the Heartless faster, but with a heavier impact on their reserves and stamina, while he may take a while to defeat the Heartless, but he did so in a cost-efficient way. If they were to face an endless horde of Heartless, then the Masters would keel over first, leaving Lycan to outlast them due to his knowledge of how to utilize the minimum needed to defeat the Heartless, compared to the Masters' guns blazing approach.</p><p>"...So, you want the Wielders-in-training to be <em> efficient </em> instead of incredibly powerful." Lycan noted, furrowing his brows. But, he spotted a deep flaw in Master Verity's plan. "But, you're asking <em> me </em> . Master vanished, and thus, I'm a disgrace to the Order. It <em> is </em> common knowledge. No one'll be willing to listen to me."</p><p>Master Verity merely smiled mysteriously, which added to his annoyance. "What is your answer, young Lycan?"</p><p>The disgraced Wielder stared at the older man blankly. After a few seconds, he sighed, someone managing to mix reluctant acceptance, annoyance, and exasperation in a single breath. "<em> Fine </em> ." He groused, shooting Master Verity a dirty look. "But <em> I'll </em> be the one to take charge of this lesson. They'll come out of it knowing everything about the Heartless, or, Kingdom Hearts help me, will die a horrible death from a Heartless they won't be able to overpower."</p><p>"I will leave the details to your discretion, then." Lycan's eyebrow twitched, as Master Verity barely reacted to his words, merely shooting him a bland smile before stalking off. Great. Now he was feeling stressed. The Wielders-in-Training better be made of tough stuff, because he would be unleashing <em> hell </em> on them. <em> Wait a fucking second </em>.</p><p>"Oi! When the hell's the lesson gonna be!?"</p><p>"In exactly seven days! I am sure you have a lot to prepare, so I made sure to clear your schedule!"</p><p>
  <em> Crafty old bastard! </em>
</p><p>He could hear Laurel cackling at his expense in the background. Okay, now he was <em> definitely </em> annoyed. "Oh, shut up already!" The female Moogle only cackled harder.</p><hr/><p>
  <em> Seven Days Later </em>
</p><p>"Are you sure about this, young Lycan?"</p><p>Lycan shot Master Verity a mild glare, as the Wielders-in-Training hesitantly entered the dark arena. Noticing them, he watched as they reached the center and looked around warily. Rolling his eyes, he flicked his Keyblade, the large gates closing with a slam, and the lights turning on at a dim level at his command.</p><p>The circular arena was large, and the bleachers had a proportionate sizing. On all four sides of the semi-perfect circle, were heavy gates, one of which the students had entered through. The ground was made of rough sand, which was carefully maintained to stay non-slippery. Both Master Verity and Lycan had been standing in the referee's stand, with the latter jumping down on the arena once the lights were on, dismissing his Keyblade.</p><p>He clapped his hands. "Oi." That seemed to get the Wielders-in-Training's attention, and they stiffened. He recognised Heathcliffe among them, and the two magical signatures that had been following him through Radiant Garden for quite a few months now. Whoever they were, they were good at stealth, because he had always failed at singling them out.</p><p>He let out a breath of air through his nose, keeping his lips curled into a scowl. His hood was not covering his hair this time, because it could prevent them from seeing what could be seen of his face, but the wolf mask stayed on. "I'm not sure if he told ya or not, but the old man over there," He gestured at Master Verity with his head, before continuing. There were a few incredulous looks from his audience, and some strange ones he couldn't put a finger on. "He, in an annoyingly polite way, asked for my help with teaching you a new subject."</p><p>"I find myself having… Doubts on your capacity to teach us something the Masters are more than qualified to do so themselves." And there went Heathcliffe, rudely interrupting him and earning more than a few reproachful looks from the other Wielders-in-Training.</p><p>Lycan rolled his eyes, not even bothering to hide the fact he did so. "Very well, then. Heathcliffe, stay there. All of you aside from her, go up there and take seats to observe."</p><p>"And why should we listen to you?" She interrupted him rudely again, but this time, it wasn't him who answered.</p><p>"Because I hold his abilities in this subject in higher esteem than any of mine and my fellow Masters' abilities." Master Verity interjected, shooting Heathcliffe a mild glare. That shut her up. "And one of his conditions upon agreeing to this was to take full charge of the lesson, effectively making him equal to your other teachers."</p><p>The other students were quick to comply, eagerly awaiting the start of this new lesson. It certainly would be one to remember, if the Masked Wielder was the one in charge. He could be considered a living local legend to the Wielders-in-Training. Lycan and Heathcliffe stood down in the arena for a few moments, the male Wielder scrutinizing the other with a dark look while she squirmed in her place, uncomfortable.</p><p>"What is a Heartless?" He suddenly asked, and the small chatter ceased, everyone paying rapt attention. "Come on, tell me." He added, after seeing Heathcliffe hesitate to answer.</p><p>"H-Heartless are unnatural creatures made of pure Darkness," She began, as if unsure of her answer, unnerved by being suddenly singled out. While she would normally preen under the attention, the person who was giving her his undivided attention was someone she had observed with suspicion, and whom she had just found out had the trust of the oldest Keyblade Master. "They are born in the Realm of Darkness, and their only goal is to devour Hearts. That is what they are."</p><p>Lycan stared at her for a few seconds once she finished, before opening his mouth and walking away, starting the lesson for real. He joined his hands behind his back, in a manner uncanningly similar to a fallen Master of old. "Or, that is what the Masters have told you. Have you seen a Heartless?"</p><p>"No. The Masters always shrugged off our questions of how the Heartless' appearance, and to be frank, I agree with their reasoning that it is unnecessary. The Heartless lack a logical mind and are weak monsters who barely deserve our time of the day." She replied back confidently, having absolute trust on the sayings of the Masters.</p><p>Lycan scoffed, before turning around and regarding all Wielders, including Master Verity. He had stopped walking next to the nearest gate, right across from the one the Wielders-in-Training had entered through. "Arrogance at its finest. Allow me to elaborate. The Heartless are beings of darkness, split into two classifications: "Pureblood", and "Emblem"."</p><p>He held out one of his hands to the side, keeping the other behind his back. With a pulse of magic, he formed a symbol that floated above his palm, impressing Master Verity and the other Wielders, as using magic in such way is difficult, requiring precise control. The symbol was a heart with a <em> fleur-de-lis </em> at its base. The symbol was pitch black with a red outline, and a spiky black cross over the heart, the same color as the outline.</p><p>"This," He spoke, dead serious. "Is the Heartless' symbol, and you <em> will </em> memorize it over the course of this new, <em> mandatory </em> class. It can be found as a prominent and heavily visible characteristic of the Emblem Heartless, for all have this symbol in their bodies. There are two different types of Emblem Heartless, "Natural", and "Artificial". Fortunately, there exist only Natural Emblem Heartless, the Artificial ones having been eradicated centuries ago."</p><p>The Wielders listened with rapt attention, soaking up every word Lycan spoke, as it was information that the masked Wielder spoke of in a manner that made it seem important because it <em> was </em>, not because he thought it was.</p><p>"Now, to elaborate further. There are other classifications of Heartless, and both Emblems and Purebloods fall into them. Natural-Born and Fallen Hearts. Natural-Born are comprised mostly Purebloods, and are naturally generated from the darkness of all worlds, spawning in the Realm of Darkness most of the time. However, Natural-Born Emblems <em> never </em> spawn in the Realm of Darkness, the environment being anathema to their nature."</p><p>He crushed the symbol floating above his palm, and swept his gaze across his audience, dead serious. "And finally, Fallen Hearts. Another source of the Heartless are living beings' Hearts. When someone's Heart is consumed by either its inner darkness or another Heartless, a Fallen Heart is born. A Fallen Heart can also be born when someone loses their Heart, be it by natural or artificial means."</p><p>He took a deep breath to recover from the long-winded explanation, and then looked at his audience. "Any questions?"</p><p>One of them raised one hand, and Lycan nodded at her, memorizing her appearance. It was a white-haired teen a bit younger than him, probably around fifteen years old. She had red eyes and pale skin, and wore a cream-colored sleeveless shirt under a light orange sleeveless vest, a white skirt, beige thigh-high stockings and orange boots.</p><p>Seated at her side was someone identical to her, with the difference being the doppelganger's preference for black and blue, and their hairstyles. The one who raised her hand had her hair in a loose spiky ponytail, while her doppelganger let her hair loose in downwards spikes. Lycan assumed they must be twins.</p><p>"Yes…?"</p><p>"Ivory Kastle." She replied. "How do you know so much about the Heartless?"</p><p>He scowled deeply at that, heaving a weary sigh. "I have been fighting the Heartless nearly twenty-four seven for the last ten years. That and I raided the library, seeing as the books pertaining to Heartless are in the restricted section."</p><p>Her twin took initiative. "How old are you?" At the obvious question in his eyes, she added, "Alabaster Kastle, sir."</p><p>"Don't call me sir." He snapped on reflex. "And I'm seventeen. Now, any <em> relevant </em> questions?"</p><p>He was getting aggravated now, and his audience must have seen it, because no one else asked questions. Heathcliffe seemed to have some sort of internal conflict in her mind, but he didn't pay any attention. "Alright. Heathcliffe, time to see how you fare against the Heartless."</p><p>"Wait, <em> what </em>?" Heathcliffe squeaked, as Lycan went to the side of the arena summoning his Keyblade, a flick of his wrist making the gate open with a creak.</p><p>"Consider this your test. To see if you live up to your reputation." He scoffed, crossing his arms while staring hard at the female Wielder, a glimmer of dark amusement in his eyes.</p><hr/><p>Luna gulped, summoning her Keyblade, as her eyes roamed the darkness beyond the opening gate. Moonlit Blossom was a familiar weight, its soft light sending a pulse of reassurance to her core. The white Keyblade was one she personally saw as gorgeous, resembling a bouquet of Moonflowers.</p><p>And at the moment, it made her deeply wish that the lights in the arena weren't so dim. She knew they could be brighter, she had seen them reach such level before. This must have been work of that wretched Wielder, Lycan. She shot him a glare, to which he responded with his own. Luna, not used to people matching her glare to glare, flinched, before catching herself and glowering at Lycan, soon turning back to the gate, which had finished opening.</p><p>"I have lectured you about <em> what </em> the Heartless are, but not about what they <em> do </em>." Lycan began, much to her annoyance. Why couldn't he just leave the teaching to Master Verity!? Master Verity was far older and an actual Master, so he should have more experience by default! She was sure that Master Verity was just allowing the infuriating Wielder to teach because he was tired, and did not desire to wound his assistant's feelings.</p><p>"Pureblood Heartless, as they are born from pure darkness, be it from the worlds or someone's Heart, are greatly common in areas saturated with darkness. And while they lack variety, they make up for it by being far more numerous than Emblems, and by attacking in swarms, instead of in small groups." The infuriating masked Wielder continued, outright dismissing Luna's annoyance. "As this is just an introductory class of the subject, I won't show you an example of these swarms, leaving it to classes further down the line."</p><p>As he spoke, the darkness beyond the gate began to twist and wiggle, as if <em> something </em> was imprisoned there. "And because Purebloods are the easier to deal with thanks to the lesser variety compared to Emblems that I mentioned, I captured a few in order to show you exactly what you'll be dealing with in the future." A few shadows split from the darkness, in distinct shapes Lycan recognised, but Luna didn't. The shadows began to surround her, deeply unnerving the female Wielder. "And <em> these </em>, are Shadows. The weakest and most common Heartless in existence."</p><p>The Shadows jumped off the… shadows, and started spasming, staring at Luna with their beady, pupil-less and sclera-less yellow eyes. They had a vaguely humanoid body structure, being of a deep, light-sucking black. She could <em> feel </em> her own Light being sucked from her body, thankfully in extremely small quantities. They had a round, spherical head, and they eyes were also round. Two long, twisted antennae sprouted out the top of each Shadow's head. Their hands had three clawed fingers each, and their feet were large and without any digits.</p><p>Their movements were erratic, each Shadow following a deep, primal instinct, chittering and screeching, as their bodies sucked light from their surroundings simply by <em> existing </em> . Their unnatural eyes glowed with the light they sucked, displaying it for the world to see. <em> I am darkness, and you are my victim </em>, their eyes seemed to say, and Luna took an involuntary step backwards.</p><p>Bad idea.</p><p>Their gaze instantly snapped towards her, and locked into her Keyblade. <em> Keyblade! </em> Their eyes screamed, pure <em> venom </em> mixed with pure <em> terror </em> in their gaze. As it they both hated and feared the Keyblade at the same time. "The Heartless have the sole goal of consuming Hearts to turn them into more Heartless, and their innermost desire, above all else, are the Hearts of the worlds." Lycan kept speaking, his voice echoing in her ears, as she heard her heartbeat, quick, and loud, and <em> utterly frightened </em> . He fought those, those… <em> Abominations </em> , for <em> ten years </em>!?</p><p>"As such, they desire the Keyblade, for its power to lock and unlock Hearts. Because of this, they behave in a paradoxical manner. The Keyblade is the only weapon that can destroy them permanently, with Magic only doing so temporarily, with the exception of Magic channeled through a Keyblade. Because of this, they fear it, and hate it, and <em> desire </em> it. They seek out Keyblades in order to consume their Wielders' Hearts, despite the fact that they are <em> terrified </em> of it, and would prefer to avoid Wielders."</p><p>The Shadows leaped.</p><p>Luna screamed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Hearts And Their Frailty</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Luna suffers from the Heartless.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lycan was well-aware of the effects the Heartless had on beings with Hearts. Which was why he decided to test his would-be students the way he did. If they resisted, then he would be pleasantly impressed. If they failed to resist the effects in order to fight, then he would be right on the money, concerning their levels. It is… Incredibly difficult to fight against the Heartless, in the beginning.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Only by continuous exposure to them, would they be able to resist the Light-sucking properties of the Heartless. Sure, some people can resist it straight away, but as far as he could tell, no one there, including himself and Master Verity, could. The Wielders-in-Training in the bleachers were shuddering, huddling close together in fear. Even Master Verity had a pale face. He was the only one who did not react, due to his ten-year exposure.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He closed his eyes as he sighed. This would be as difficult as he predicted, if not </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> difficult. He did not expect such a reaction from his new students. Opening his eyes again, he lowered his arm from where he had raised it, walking towards Heathcliffe. The arrogant, yet slightly naïve, Wielder had collapsed on the floor, curling on herself as she let out shuddering breaths. The area around her was scorched with the aftermath of a Thunder spell, with wisps of darkness indicating the spots where the Shadows were before being vanquished.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He kneeled on the ground next to her, feeling slightly sympathetic. He may not like her, but he did know how it was to be completely terrified. "Can you stand?" He asked, narrowing his eyes as his mind ran through various possibilities for future classes. Upon receiving a shake of her head in response, he sighed. "Okay. I'll carry you to the bleachers."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She grimaced, but didn't protest when he placed one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back. A glance at the gate and the teeming darkness on the other side, and he stomped the ground, causing numerous ethereal chains to block the darkness from entering the arena. Lycan heaved a sigh, as he walked towards the bleachers and carefully set her down, before prompting the nearest Wielder, Ivory, to take care of Heathcliffe.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He hurriedly returned to the center of the arena, before grabbing everyone's attention by clapping. "What you have just seen is an example of how most Wielders fare in their first fight against the Heartless. Which is why I </span>
  <em>
    <span>don't</span>
  </em>
  <span> recommend fighting against them alone. Hell, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> almost </span>
  <em>
    <span>died</span>
  </em>
  <span> the first time I fought them, and I didn't have an experienced Wielder nearby like Heathcliffe there did."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A Wielder raised his hand, and at Lycan's prompting, nervously asked his question. "D-Do all Heartless feel like that?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No. The stronger the Heartless, the stronger the feeling." He replied bluntly, before rubbing the bridge of his nose. Shooting a glare at the cage he created, he continued. "The strongest'll make you feel like there's no light, only darkness. I met one of these recently, and lemme tell you, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>difficult</span>
  </em>
  <span> as all hell to fight it."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Then how are we supposed to fight against them?" Heathcliffe's bitter tone reached his ears, and he set his expression into one of grim determination, looking at her. She still seemed shaken, but had recovered enough to glare at him, which he returned for a moment, before facing the other Wielders.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Experience." Was his answer, summoning his Keyblade and burying the tip in the ground, leaning his hands against the guard's bottom. "The longer you fight against them, the more you'll be able to, if not fight off the effects, at least </span>
  <em>
    <span>ignore</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. In our next class, I'll explain more about the Heartless, but for now, I'll end this class here. You've been shaken enough by the Shadows, it'll be counterproductive to face stronger ones today as well, seeing as these were the only Shadows I managed to capture. Class dismissed."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"W-Wait." Alabaster spoke up, looking at Master Verity. Lycan, who was about to leave, paused in his motions, just like the other Wielders. "Master, how did you and the other Masters manage to fight off the Heartless?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Master Verity looked at her with a serious face, before letting out a weary sigh. "We did not. We only came into contact with them after our Mark of Mastery exam. Thus, when we faced the Heartless, irrational panic took over, and we vanquished them using our superior firepower before we could get a good feel of their aura."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lycan snorted. "Kinda obvious that was the case, after seeing Master Scarlet lose her bitchy composure and go all 'Kill it with fire' when she escorted me to the Hunting Forest and saw a small group of four. I'm pretty sure the Forest still hasn't recovered from that big-ass Mega Flare."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Having said his piece, the masked Wielder departed from the arena, raising his hood to cover his head, Keyblade already dismissed. Master Verity shook his head, a sorrowful smile on his face. However, he raised an eyebrow upon seeing Luna Heathcliffe and the twins had yet to trickle out like the others. Concern rose up in his Heart, as he saw Ivory still supporting Luna, who seemed to be standing only through sheer stubbornness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Master. Just who is he?" She asked, frustration showing in her face, likely derived from the masked Wielder, who seemed to have some sort of mutual grudge with her. Master Verity could not claim to know Lycan, thus the reasons for his side were unknown to him. Luna, however…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She was prideful, and confident in her abilities. Lycan, as someone whom the Wielders had started to take notice recently, threatened her world as the best Wielder that was not a Master, due to the sheer confidence in his skills he showed. He walked through Radiant Garden as if he belonged here, and his composure was hardly broken. That, and the fact he hid his face gave him an aura of mystery, which further exacerbated the rumours.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I see you have heard the rumours." Luna grimaced, and the twins met each other's gaze nervously for a moment, which, to his mind, made them the most likely source of the rumours. "I assure you, his skills are just as I implied them to be, if not greater." Aha. So they have found Lycan's training spot. A place no Master knew its location.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That doesn't answer my question." She seemed aggravated, perhaps… Jealousy? He was too old to relate to these younglings, so he could only make assumptions. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Who is he</span>
  </em>
  <span>?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Master Verity closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them and fixing the trio with a serious gaze. "Lycan Caelum, a Wielder whom we Masters have wronged, whose past is known to its full by us, yet hidden in plain sight from him. You three would do well to approach him. Growing up with only a Moogle for a friend is most likely not healthy for a social life."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luna made an expression that indicated his answer had only created more questions.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Hey, Master?" A younger Lycan, with shorter hair and a more relaxed body language asked, his forehead creasing as the boy seemed deep in thought. "Can I ask you a question?"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>His Master's violet eyes, much like Lycan's own, shone mirthfully, as he grinned down at the kid. "You already did." The young Wielder deadpanned at him, and the Master chuckled. "Sure thing, kiddo. Go ahead."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Why do you wear that cloak?" The Master paused. But soon, his eyes softened, and he ruffled Lycan's hair, much to the kid's annoyance. Ignoring his protests, the Master decided to answer the honest, if blunt, question.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"You see, this nice cloak here protects me from the darkness. It gives me a little bit of leeway when utilising my own darkness, and even then, I still have to be pretty careful." He replied, easing up on teasing his cute little apprentice and relaxing a bit.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Will I ever get one?" The question was blurted out as soon as Lycan managed to process what exactly he had said. Which was pretty damn fast for a kid like his cute apprentice. Once again, his laughter showed in his eyes, and he grinned again.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"We'll see. First off, you gotta train a bit more." He said in response, standing up from the rock he was sitting on and stretching, before summoning his Keyblade, easing into a relaxed stance.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Lycan responded to his actions by summoning his own, colored into shades of blue and black, with several spikes. His Master's grin widened upon seeing it, his eyes briefly turning faraway for a reason Lycan couldn't comprehend. Shaking his head in amusement, he made a 'come hither' gesture, and the kid complied, charging at the Master.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Lycan slowly opened his eyes, the memory fresh in his mind's eye. For a brief moment, he wondered why he hadn't summoned his old Keyblade in the last ten years, and what was keeping it from answering his call. Summoning his current one, he checked if the spell he had cast to prevent other people from seeing it properly was still on, and upon receiving confirmation, he dismissed it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>despised</span>
  </em>
  <span> the Keyblade, as a reminder of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>Master</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the one who callously </span>
  <em>
    <span>abandoned</span>
  </em>
  <span> him without a word. It always felt as if it was judging him, and was unsure if he should be deemed worthy of wielding it. And that was what scared him. That he would be abandoned by it, just as his Master did, and be left without anything to defend himself from the Heartless properly, and vanquish them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After all, only a Keyblade, or magic channeled through one, can defeat the Heartless for good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shook his head. Dwelling in these thoughts only served to make his mood worse. And it was already terrible, due to having to deal with Heathcliffe earlier. At least he had only captured a few Shadows and Neoshadows for that class. All Shadows had been slain when they attempted to attack Heathcliffe, and the Neoshadows were disposed of properly once the arena was empty of life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"How was the class?" A familiar voice reached his ears, and he unconsciously smiled, as he slowly turned to see the welcome sight of his visitor approaching him amidst the bushes of the old castle's gardens. That was his usual refuge if he wasn't in the mood to descend into the Cavern of Remembrance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Laurel." He greeted, his earlier mood forgotten, as the maternal Moogle's mere presence affected him. After all, she was the one who practically raised him for the last seven years. "I think I traumatised the other Wielders. Guess they weren't ready to meet a Heartless face-to-face yet."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She merely shot him an unimpressed look, before perching on his head, making herself comfortable for the following conversation. "Did you dispose of them, at least?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. I only got Shadows and Neoshadows, nothing too dangerous." He replied, looking up at the evening sky. There was a hint of orange, suggesting that the sun was almost under the horizon. The absence of clouds foresaw a clean night, the stars to be visible for the first time in the last month. Radiant Garden had been hit hard by storms during this period, so people were happy to finally see the stars again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Only you would believe a Neoshadow to not be dangerous." Laurel said in response, her tone dryer than a desert. She shifted, raising her head to look at the sky like her surrogate son. "Any constellations you want to see?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To that, Lycan kept quiet for a few seconds, before slowly speaking. "...The Three Heroes." Laurel made a non-committal sound, seemingly uncaring of his words. Yet, she spoke.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You always liked that one." Her tone lacked emotion, as if she was just stating a fact. But Lycan knew what she really meant, and he smiled, faint as it may be. The Moogle had always been there for him, and for that, he was grateful. "Hopefully you'll be able to go to Hero's Elysium someday. That world is closest to the constellation, and thus it is easier to see it from there."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...Yeah. Someday." He made an odd noise at the back of his throat, which made Laurel look at him with a different odd look. But, she decided to shove it to the back of her mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Well, then. I'll be going. Don't be a stranger, Lycan." She finally said, hopping off his head. Waving at him, she floated off, intent on returning to her shop. He merely waved back, a small smile on his face, before rising to his feet, looking up at the stars. A strange feeling slowly formed in his chest, but he ignored it, for he could not recognise it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He looked at the wolf mask in his hand, before sighing heavily. "One day…" He whispered, raising the wolf mask to the sky, the moon shining through the holes in the mask's eyes. "One day…" He repeated, before closing his eyes.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Luna gulped, shaking as the darkness was all she could see. It felt so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>Unnerving</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and so </span>
  <em>
    <span>terrifying</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The inner warmth of her light was slowly trickling down an unseen drain, leaving only a </span>
  <em>
    <span>freezing</span>
  </em>
  <span> chill, as if her insides had turned to ice. She shivered, subconsciously embracing herself, as panic filled her mind, her green eyes wildly seeking something, </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span>, only to find nothing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Belatedly, she realized all she felt with her hands and arms was bare skin. Her clothes, which were enchanted to protect her from the darkness, were not being worn by her. She was as naked as the day she was born, and it </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrified</span>
  </em>
  <span> her. She was defenseless against the encroaching, thick, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>suffocating</span>
  </em>
  <span> darkness, which sapped her from light and warmth, leaving her with a paralyzing cold.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She looked down, and saw that her body was a pure, featureless, light, that was slowly vanishing into the darkness, leaving behind her rosy skin. Her shock was evident in her face, and she covered herself up, crouching in a fetal position, gritting her teeth in fear, as her light vanished, and she was left completely naked against the horrors of darkness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A low growl reached her ears, and she fearfully raised her head, eyes wide open in fear. Small, beady, yellow eyes surrounded her, faint dark blue lines glowing in the darkness. "No. Nononono." She muttered, rising to her feet, her right hand grasping for Moonlit Blossom-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn't respond to her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>It didn't respond to her call</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her own Keyblade had abandoned her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Was that it? She would die, abandoned by her own Keyblade? She had shown weakness against the Shadows. Moonlit Blossom must have been disgusted with her. She was Luna Heathcliffe! The best Wielder that had yet to reach the rank of Master!  And she was oh-so-</span>
  <em>
    <span>weak</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Instead of bravely facing the darkness, she had shrunk away from it in fear. She was not supposed to be afraid! Fear is weakness! And weakness is death!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her thoughts became more frantic, as she looked around. She was completely surrounded by Neoshadows. The Masked Wielder, for she refused to acknowledge him, no matter what, his lecture returned to her mind full-force. After the fiasco with the Shadows, and after the Wielders-in-training had time to collect themselves, he had whisked them away to see the other Heartless he had captured, behind a barrier, of course.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were all Neoshadows. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"These are Neoshadows."</span>
  </em>
  <span> He had said, his mouth set in a thin line, a grim tone to his voice. </span>
  <em>
    <span>"If their name leads you to believe they're simply an upgraded version of Shadows, then you're absolutely right."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Neoshadows came into view. Taller, with a more humanoid appearance than Shadows. Their antennae were long, trailing behind them. Large hands, sporting five clawed fingers, clenched and unclenched. Their movements, unlike Shadows, were deliberate, the deadly spark of </span>
  <em>
    <span>intelligence</span>
  </em>
  <span> shining in their eyes. She knew the reason their hands were groping the air, as they restricted themselves from reaching to her Heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They were calculating. And waiting for the right moment to sink their claws in her flesh, and rip her Heart from her chest, before turning it into one of their own.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"However, just because they're only upgraded Shadows, doesn't mean you should underestimate them. Look at them. What are they doing? They're looking straight at us. Look at their eyes. They're </span>
  </em>
  <span>smart</span>
  <em>
    <span>. They have intelligence. They have true sentience, just. Like. Us. And that's why they're among the deadliest Heartless out there, if not </span>
  </em>
  <span>the</span>
  <em>
    <span> deadliest."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Why? Easy. The other Heartless among the deadliest deserve to be called that for their sheer, raw, power. They have a developed intelligence like Neoshadows, but it takes a backseat in regards to their overwhelming strength. But not the Neoshadows. They utilize their intelligence in the right way. A Darkside may crush you with its fist straight-on, but the Neoshadows will lure you into a false sense of security, and then stab you in the back while you're relaxed and distracted. Their arsenal is simple, but in spite of that, it's just as deadly as the strongest Heartless."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And they were showing their cunning. The one in front of her play-lunged at her, and she instinctively flinched away, only to feel another clawing at her shoulder blades. And so it went. Repeatedly. Juggling her between them, awaiting for her to falter. She began to feel weak. Her legs trembled, struggling to hold her weight. Her blood splashed on the ground, falling from many gashes on her body, as the Heartless relentlessly assaulted her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And then, she fell to her knees.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They pounced.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luna let out a shriek as her head was pulled back, exposing her neck, as one grabbed a fistful of her hair and </span>
  <em>
    <span>tugged</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The others got a hold of her limbs, locking her in place. And then, the last one, slowly and methodically, deliberately pacing itself so that her fear, panic, and terror grew, grew, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>grew</span>
  </em>
  <span>, approached her from the front. A single, long finger, touched her breast, as she saw the pure </span>
  <em>
    <span>hatred </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>cruelty</span>
  </em>
  <span> in these soulless yellow eyes…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The finger was joined by four more.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They dug into her flesh, blood running down her chest from the puncture wounds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And it </span>
  <em>
    <span>pierced her chest</span>
    <span>-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luna screamed as she bolted up in her bed, breathing heavily as she frantically looked around, panicked. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. </span>
  <em>
    <span>It wasn't real</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Itwasn'trealitwasn'trealitwasn'treal-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Luna!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Warmth</span>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her own. And someone else's.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That voice. She knew it. "I-Ivory?" She spoke, her voice hoarse, her eyelids heavy, her chest heaving with each breath she took. What was she doing here? Luna </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> she wasn't on good terms with the Kastle twins. She was condescending towards them ever since she defeated the both of them single-handedly, at the same time. And they were not weak Wielders. "What…?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sixteen-years old girl was embracing Luna tightly, a concerned light in her violet eyes. Her spiky white hair, usually held in a loose ponytail, was disheveled, as if she had just got out of bed. Shivering, she looked around wildly, seeing nothing but the moonlit, familiar darkness of her room. A glance at the alarm clock on her nightstand showed that it was half an hour past midnight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I woke up with a bad feeling." Ivory explained, rubbing circles on Luna's back. The chestnut-haired girl's nightgown was damp with sweat, clinging to her skin. "So I came to your room. You did not lock the door, and I came in, only to see you trashing and turning, sweating a lot, and crying."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Crying?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Luna shakily brought her hand to her face, feeling the tracks her tears had made when they slid down from her eyes. She took a shuddering breath, and clung to Ivory, her nightmare playing and replaying in her mind. Was </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> what the Masked Wielder had to deal with, every day?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Just as quickly as the thought came, she banished it from her mind, refusing to sympathise with him. Ivory eyed the girl she was comforting, and came to a decision. "C'mon, girl, you need a bath."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Ivory?" A yawn from outside her room drew both girls' attention to the door, only to see Alabaster leaning against the doorframe, attempting to rub the sleep out of her eyes. "What's going on?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luna clenched her jaw, even as her body kept shuddering, unheeding of her wishes. The twins were seeing her in a moment of weakness. How humiliating. Ivory gently steered her to get up, and walked the shaken Wielder to her own private bathroom, calling out to Alabaster. "Sister, if you wouldn't mind, come inside and lock that door before helping me prepare a bath for Luna."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alabaster, to her credit, quickly banished the sleep from her mind, and with one look at Luna, she got to work, not saying a single word.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meanwhile, Ivory maneuvered Luna out of her nightgown, casting a worried look at the nail marks on her. She blinked, looking down at her body, wondering how she had not felt the pain, given that the marks were bleeding, especially five of them on her breast, over her heart. The events of the nightmare returned to her mind, and she barely fought off a shudder, forcing herself to </span>
  <em>
    <span>just stop shaking, dammit</span>
    <span>!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Luna bit her lip, struggling against the urge to tear up, as the mere thought of the nightmare made her feel cold inside, even as the older twin helped her submerge her body on the hot water inside the bathtub. She did not speak a word of her nightmare. The twins asked no questions.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>...She may have misjudged them a little.</span>
</p>
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